Bridge Commander Central
Recreational Forums => Trek Discussion => Topic started by: Daystar70 on October 22, 2009, 09:18:38 AM
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Came across this clip from "peak performance" and could not recall which thread we debated this in before, but Picard says something that sheds more light on the subject.
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Constellation class.. :dance I loved that episode.
Muhaha! Riker just PWND Picard with that first maneuver..
Ent-D: " :eek ZOMG Romulans!"
Hathaway:? "he fell for it! engage PWN mode!" :evil*pew pew pew*
Ent-D : "WTF! U haxor! :argh:"
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Starfleet's first mission is "to seek out new lifeforms and new civilizations" etc. However, there's the unpleasant fact that some new life and new civilizations don't WANT to be interfered with or even contacted. Exploration is all well and good, but one must be prepared to defend oneself. If not, civilizations like the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Union, the Tholian Assembly, the Dominion, and the Borg Collective would've been picking the Federation's bones from their teeth a long time ago. Starfleet may not be a "military" organization, but they have to be prepared for that eventuality.
I know it's sort of wrong to compare Star Trek to Star Wars, but Starfleet is similar in some ways to the Jedi of the Old Republic. Exploration and diplomacy first, use force only when all other options are exhausted. And, like the Jedi during the Clone Wars, Starfleet is not a military organization unless every option has been exhausted and the entire Federation is under threat. That's the only time I ever disagree with Gene Roddenberry's "There should be no war ever" philosophy as it applies to Star Trek's universe. There won't always be all powerful Organians to stop the fighting. There will, however, always be races with an inexorable desire for conquest. Honestly, if they wanted to keep the "no war ever" philosophy intact, then the Borg should have never been introduced. The Borg, IMO, was the beginning of the end of Gene's ideal. As such a dangerous, inexorable, unstoppable, and downright relentless force, eventually they would have brought everything to bear on the Federation(which they finally did in the novels). That opened the doors for concepts such as the Dominion, Species 8472, and the Hirogen, all incredibly tenacious and hell-bent on destruction.
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Actually, I like your analogy of the Jedi. It actually fits.
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I think this definition depends on the level of peace... There is no mistaking that in time of war Starfleet is definitely military.
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Taking it one step furthur, if starfleet is primarily exploration, lets compare its structure to the age of sail..exploration ships had cannons to defend itself, and in times of aggression, could be called home to rally as a "Militia" of sorts..
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Starfleet was so naive then. They're just lucky the Dominion didn't get a chance to completely have their way with them. If Kirk was still alive he would have seen the Dominion and been like "BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!"
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yeah, but "WEYOUUUNNNNN!" doesn't have same ring to it as "KHHAAAANNNN!!"
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Perhaps Starfleet are simply really well armed civilians...
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I know of several countries that would fit into that category.
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Perhaps Starfleet are simply really well armed civilians...
There would be a different solution for that Rank stuff then. I'm more with Daystar on this one: They ARE Exploration ships/Crews so the analogie fits.
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Constellation class.. :dance I loved that episode.
Muhaha! Riker just PWND Picard with that first maneuver..
Ent-D: " :eek ZOMG Romulans!"
Hathaway:? "he fell for it! engage PWN mode!" :evil*pew pew pew*
Ent-D : "WTF! U haxor! :argh:"
:funny